Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut, calling him a “mass murderer” responsible for attacks on Israelis and Americans.
Netanyahu framed the attack as part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s leadership and prevent the group from rebuilding its arsenal after recent operations. He warned that Israel would not tolerate future threats from Lebanon and urged his government to disarm Hezbollah.
“A few hours ago, the IDF eliminated Ali Tabatabai, the chief of staff of the terrorist organization Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said. “Tabatabai is a mass murderer. His hands are soaked in the blood of many Israelis and Americans, and it is not without reason that the US has placed a $5 million bounty on his head.”
The prime minister said Tabatabai was a senior commander of the Radwan force, which he said was prepared to invade the Galilee and kill Israeli civilians.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on November 23, 2025 that the Israeli army had killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s chief of staff, in Beirut. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images)
Netanyahu said Tabatabai recently led Hezbollah’s rearmament efforts after the group suffered major losses during the ‘Pager operation’, including damage to missile stockpiles and the killing of Nasrallah.
“I thank the IDF and the security forces who carried out a professional, precise and successful operation today,” Netanyahu said. “The policy I lead is absolutely clear: under my leadership, the State of Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its power and we will not allow the country to again pose a threat to the State of Israel.
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Hezbollah terrorists to participate in cross-border raids in 2023. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I expect the government of Lebanon to fulfill its promise to disarm Hezbollah,” he added. “For only in this way can a better future be made possible for every citizen in Lebanon and only in this way can good and secure neighborly relations be established between Israel and Lebanon.”
Netanyahu also praised President Donald Trump for vowing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, saying the group endangers stability in the Middle East and beyond.
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Hezbollah members salute and raise the group’s yellow flags during the funeral of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed in an Israeli attack on their vehicles, in Shehabiya in southern Lebanon on April 17, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
Hezbollah confirmed Tabatabai’s death by posting a photo on its Telegram accounts, indicating the loss of one of its top commanders. A translation of the image’s caption reads: “Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah. The great jihadist leader Haitham Ali Tabatabai (Sayyed Abu Ali), 1968–2025.”
Earlier Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the IDF carried out the attack in Beirut on the recommendation of the Defense Minister and the IDF Chief of Staff. Shortly after the operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel will continue to act decisively against threats from Lebanon.
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“Anyone who raises their hand against Israel will have their hand cut off,” Katz said. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are determined to continue the policy of maximum enforcement in Lebanon and elsewhere. We will not allow a return to reality before October 7.”
